Peace talks with Reds likely to resume next year–Bello

GOVERNMENT Peace Panel Chief Negotiator and Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III on Wednesday said peace talks with leaders of the Communist Party Philippines (CPP) is likely to resume by next year.

Bello issued the statement following his 21-hour meeting with CPP founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, who is still in self-exile, on December 7 and 8, in the Netherlands.

“More or less there will be a resumption [of peace talks], but as to how, when, and what process it will have to go through will still up to the President,” Bello said at the sidelines of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center Christmas Party for overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

The labor official said the peace talks is likely take place next year.

High hopes

ALSO present in the meeting are National Democratic Front (NDF) Senior Advisers Fidel Agcaoili and Luis Jalandoni, along with the wives of Sison and Jalandoni, and a fifth person, whom Bello refused to identify.

“There was also a representative from the Royal Norwegian government,” Bello said.

He declined to reveal specific details of the talks since he has yet to report it to President Duterte. However, he noted that about 90 percent of Duterte’s terms for the resumption of the talks were accepted by the NDF panel.

Bello headed to the Netherlands upon the President’s instructions, who gave him the go signal last week to resume peace talks with the CPP on the condition it be done here in the Philippines. Government commitment

BASED from new reports from CNN Philippines, Sison said he will not push through with the resumption of the peace negotiation if it will be held in the country.

For his part, Bello assured the communist leader will not be arrested if he chooses to return to the country.

“He will not be invited only to be arrested. That is not the kind of person the President is,” Bello said.

To recall, Duterte ordered the termination of the peace talks with the communist party in 2017, after its alleged attacks against military forces, while negotiations were still ongoing.

Bello, however, clarified Duterte never did fully gave up on the peace negotiations.

“What was terminated was the panel to panel [talks]. It was replaced by the localized peace talks so his [Duterte] goal of achieving lasting peace is still there,” Bello explained.